OBJECTIVETo explore the effects and action mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) on Parkinson's disease (PD).

METHODSForty-eight healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a sham operation group, a model group and an EA group, 12 rats in each one. Rats in the model group and EA group were treated with subcutaneous injection of rotenone (1mg/kg, dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide and 0. 9 % normal saline) on neck and back for 40 days to establish rat model. Rats in the sham operation group were treated with injection of identical dose of dimethyl sulfoxide and 0. 9 %o normal saline at identical location which did not contain rotenone. After model establishment, rats in the EA group were treated with EA at "Fengfu" (GV 16) and "Taichong" (LR 3) with continuous wave (2 Hz, 1 mA), which was given 20 min per time, once a day for consecutive 28 days. Rats in the remaining groups were treated with fixation and immobilization without any other intervention. The rats behavioristics changes were observed and scored; immunohisto-chemistry was adopted to test the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH); fluorescence spectrometry was used to detect the activities of 20 S β1, β2, β5; western blot method was applied to measure the expression of 20S proteasome and its a subunit.

RESULTSCompared with the normal group and sham operation group, there was significant change of behavioristics in the model group, and TH positive neuron counting was obviously reduced; after treatment, the behavioristics score in the EA group was lower than that in the model group (P<0. 05), and TH positive neuron counting was significantly increased (P<0. 05). Compared with the normal group and sham operation group, the activities of 20 S β1, β2, β5 in model group were significantly reduced (all P<0. 01), and those in the EA group were higher than those in the model group (P<0. 01). Compared with the normal group and sham operation group, the expression of 20S proteasome and its a subunit was reduced in the model group, and that in the EA group was higher than that in the model group (P<0. 05).

CONCLUSIONEA could improve the loss of dopaminergic neurons induced by rotenone to prevent and treat PD, which is likely to be related with protecting the activity and expression of proteasomes in substantia nigra.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Electroacupuncture ; Humans ; Male ; Parkinson Disease ; enzymology ; therapy ; Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Substantia Nigra ; enzymology

Objective To prepare the infected Oncomelania hupensis by artificial method for the research on the activity, vaccine, and genetic variation of Schistosoma Japonicum (S. Japonicum).Methods The mature eggs of S. Japonicum were collected by Nylon silk method and the miracidia were incubated under appropriate conditions. Negative snails were infected with miracidia in different proportion by means of individual or collective infection to seek the best method and proportion of infection between miracidia and snails. Infected snails were divided into 12 groups in total. Ⅰ-Ⅵ groups were for individual infection and Ⅶ-Ⅻ groups were for collective infection. There were 200 snails in each group. The infection ratios between snails and miracidia in Group Ⅰ-Ⅵ or screened, numbered, and reared singly. The amount of cercariae was calculated once every 10 days until the infected snails died. Then cercariae shedding quantity, infection quantity, and mortality of infected snails in every group were compared to find the best infection method and the best infection proportion between miracidia and snails. The cercariae were collected from the first generation of infected snails and were used to infect experimental animals. The mature eggs of S. Japonicum were saved from the infected experimental animals and incubated to get miracidia. The snails were artificially infected by miracidium to get the second generation of infected snails. The developmental rates of adult worms, the egg density in fecal and liver were compared between artificially and naturally infected snails. Results In individual infection GroupⅠ-Ⅵ,the average infection value of snails were 0±0,22.7±4.2,31.7±4.5,53.0±5.3,39.3±5.9,32.7±4.7,the average fatality of snails were 21.7±3.1,25.0±3.6,31.3±4.9,44.7±6.5,78.3±9.5,89.7±13.6, and the average value of cercariae shedding from infected snails were 0.0±0.0,308.0±96.6,428.1±146.2,527.0±171.1,571.4±148.9,602.9±356.3, respectively. In collective infection Group Ⅶ-Ⅻ,the average infection value of snails were 0±0,12.3±2.5,18.7±4.7,28.3±4.2,33.3±4.7,29.3±5.5,and the average fatality of snails were 22.7±3.8,23.7±4.5,28.3±5.5,47.0±9.5,75.7±8.5,86.3±12.2, and the average value of cercariae shedding from infected snails were 0±0,244.5±57.3,292.3±74.8,347.1±100.8,477.2±142.1,447.3±161.4, respectively. The second generation of artificially infected snails was obtained successfully. The average infection rate and fatality rate for the second generation of artificially infected snails were 24.65% and 24.50%, both of which were not obviously different from that of the first generation of artificially infected snails (P>0.05). In the animal experiment, the worm growth rate for the naturally infected snails, the first or second generation of artificially infected snails were 68.50%,73.50% or 71.00%. There was no obvious difference among them (P>0.05). The fecal (or liver) eggs per gram for the naturally infected snails, the first or the second generation of artificially infected snails were 1 503±269,1 683±233, or 1 541±117 (or 6 641±1 819,6 272±1 419, or 7 263±1 643). There was no significant difference among the 3 groups (P>0.05). Conclusion Infected snails can be obtained through the artificial method by using S. Japonicum miracidia to infect snails. Individual infection has the advantage over collective infection. The optimal proportion of infection between first and the second generation of artificially infected snails in the average of cercariae shedding, infection, and fatality average of snails. There was no significant difference between artificially and naturally infected snails in the developmental rate of adult worms, fecal and liver eggs per gram.

Objective:To improve the sensitivity and the linear range of electrochemical immunosensor to detect Schistosoma japonicum (S.japonicum) antibody.Methods:Carbon inks and silver/silver chloride inks were printed on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) board to make a two-electrode test strip,where carbon was the working electrode and S.japonicum soluble egg antigen (SEA) was fixed at one end of working electrode by different methods; silver/silver chloride electrode was used as control.We tested the valency of the antibody by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) in an electrochemistry workstation,and conducted comparison with the results of ELISA.Two new immunosensing electrodes have been developed,based on glutaraldehyde cross-linked (GA) or chitosan-glutaraldehyde cross-linked (Chit-GA) transducer fixing S.japonicum antigen.We tested the titer of the antibody by means of CV and DPV.Results:Our experimental S.japonicum antigen (50 μg/L) is the optimal test concentration for the GA sensor,and 10 μg/L for Chit-GA sensors.The immune reaction time of both electrodes is all essentially complete in 1 minute.The linear range for S.japonicura antibody in human positive serum sample detection by the glutaraldehyde cross-linked immunosensor is 1∶1000 to 1∶400,and by the chitosan-glutaraldehyde cross-linked immunosensor is 1∶1000 to 1∶500.As the concentration of dilution ratio of S.japonicum antibody in human positive serum sample increased,the test value of DPV increased proportionally.Conclusion:GA sensor and Chit-GA cross-linked S.japonicum sensors have high sensitivity and broad linear range response,and both exhibited a good linear relationship between the DPV signal and the test antibody titer.

Objective:To investigate the current Kangaroo Mother Care(KMC) knowledge among registered nurses working in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in China.Methods:A convenience sample of 607 registered nurses participated in this descriptive, cross sectional exploratory study. An online self-designed questionnaire was used to collect the data, including 12 items, 3 sections (Basic knowledge, Emergency handling, Breast feeding).Results:The total score was 6.52±2.29 (the total score was 12). The 5 items, accuracy below 50%, were ①In your opinion, the optimal duration of KMC was (10.2%,62/607); ②What to do if the baby had respiratory arrest or became blue during KMC (18.8%,114/607); ③Who should implement KMC (42.5%, 258/607); ④what could we do if the baby was not gaining weight (47.3%, 287/607); ⑤How to feed the baby during KMC (47.8%, 290/607). Registered nurses with more than 10 years of working experience in NICU scored higher; junior registered nurses scored lower; registered nurses learned by individuals scored lower ( F values were 9.413, 9.862, 5.368, all P<0.01). Conclusions:The insufficiency of KMC knowledge is common among NICU registered nurses. The understanding of basic concepts of KMC should be strengthened. Stratified training should be conducted for nurses′ ability to deal with emergencies, assess the changes in infants' conditions, and knowledge of breast feeding. All registered nurses′ KMC operation should be standardized to improve the level of implementation of KMC by NICU registered nurses.